On November 8, the Malaysian capital hosted the talks between the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak. In the morning, the President of Turkmenistan left his guest residence at the luxury Shangri-La Hotel for the city of Putrajaya – a modern administrative center of Malaysia, 20 km southward of the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Here, at the Perdana Square, in front of the Government House of Malaysia, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov was warmly and cordially welcomed by the Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak. After the customary procedure of shaking hands, the President of Turkmenistan and the Prime Minister of Malaysia along the carpet-covered runner headed to the venue for the official arrival ceremony. National anthems of the two countries play. The Honor Guard Commander gave a report to President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov; then the National Leader slowly moved past an Honor Guard. Then the heads of two countries were introduced to the members of governmental delegations of Turkmenistan and Malaysia. The Turkmen leader was also introduced to the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Malaysia. After a traditional official ceremony – posing alone for photographs, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and Prime Minister Najib Razak proceeded to the Government House of Malaysia and went up to the fifth floor where the Turkmen leader left an entry in the Honorable Guests Book. President of Turkmenistan and Prime Minister of Malaysia then held talks in the restricted format. The negotiation process was held in the businesslike atmosphere of mutual understanding. Acknowledging availability of the vast untapped potential and wide opportunities for intensifying the effective partnership in various fields, President of Turkmenistan and Prime Minister of Malaysia placed special emphasis on the issues of advancing cooperation in the fuel-and-energy sector - a strategic field for the economies of both countries. The sides also exchanged views on the important interest-based matters of the regional and international policy. The talks then continued in the enlarged format, with participation of the members of governmental delegations of Turkmenistan and Malaysia. Special consideration was given to the high technologies, regarding them as top priority vectors of cooperation, given the Malaysia’s know-how in this sphere. This particularly implies investing in such high-technology branches of economy as energy, communications, processing and chemical industries. Acknowledging Turkmenistan’s textile industry untapped potential, to bring the potential at the level that meets the real capabilities of the two countries, the sides spoke in favor of increasing and diversifying the trade turnover. Promotion of commercial and economic ties, the contacts between business circles of the two countries could successfully be encouraged through regularly held business forums, exhibitions, expert meetings. One such was last year’s November Turkmenistan–Malaysia Business Forum in Kuala Lumpur. In this regard the initiative was put forward on holding similar forum in Ashgabat in 2017. Banking and urban development, agro-processing and food industry were named among other promising vectors of interstate cooperation. In general, Turkmenistan will welcome Malaysian companies’ involvement in major national projects in the fields of transport, communications and modernization of infrastructure on the Caspian coast. Taking advantage of the opportunity, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov extended an invitation to the representatives of Malaysia to participate in the Sustainable Transport System Global Conference to be convened under the UN aegis in Ashgabat on 26-27 November of the running year. The negotiation process was followed by the ceremony of signing the bilateral documents. The sides also signed the Protocol of Introducing Amendments into the Agreement between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of Malaysia on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of Malaysia on Cooperation in the Field of Sports. Then the leaders of two countries gave an address to the press. After the press conference, at the residence of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the official reception was hold in honor of the distinguished Turkmen guest. After the reception, the President of Turkmenistan left for his guest residence at Shangri-La Hotel. During the visit to Kuala Lumpur, authorized by the head of state, the members of our country’s representative delegation held several bilateral working and exchange-of-opinions meetings, consultations on the specific areas of Turkmenistan–Malaysia partnership. The meetings resulted in signing of the following bilateral documents: Agreements on Cooperation between the International University for Humanities and Development and Malaysian Management and Science University, Turkmenistan’s National Institute for Sports and Tourism and Malaysia’s KDU University College; as well as the Memorandums of Understanding between the Turkmen State Institute of Transport and Communications and University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), between the International Oil and Gas University, PETRONAS Carigali (Turkmenistan) Sdn. Bhd. Company and PETRONAS Technology University. In the afternoon, the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov received Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin - President of Malaysia’s world-renowned PETRONAS Company. The meeting took place at the Turkmen Leader’s guest residence at Shangri-La Hotel. Having expressed his sincere appreciation to the Turkmen President for finding the time for meeting, the head of PETRONAS extended to President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov his congratulations on the success of the visit to Malaysia, having stressed that the high-level negotiations held between the two countries wrote a new page in the history of traditionally friendly interstate relations. Grateful for kind words, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has emphasized that neutral Turkmenistan is always open to the productive dialogue. Noteworthy is the fact that PETRONAS was the first foreign company to begin development of hydrocarbon fields in the Turkmen shelf of the Caspian Sea. The meeting continued with vivid discussion of the opportunities and plans for advancing in the future the long-term mutuality-based cooperation. Collaboration in the sphere of professional education – training of the qualified professionals for the oil and gas sector – was named as one of the key areas of partnership between Turkmenistan and PETRONAS. As is known, over the years, Turkmen students have been sent to PETRONAS University of Technology to get education. In conclusion, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, head of PETRONAS Company, expressed their confidence in the successful furthering the interest-based bilateral cooperation which directly contributes to strengthening and advancing the constructive Turkmen–Malaysian relations. The President of Turkmenistan also met with the Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament of Malaysia Pandikar Amin Haji Mulia. Welcoming cordially the Head of Turkmenistan, the Speaker of the Parliament of the friendly country has stressed that he is sincerely glad to meet the Turkmen leader – the architect of Turkmenistan’s tremendous success in the socio-economic development and its global name recognition. During the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan was briefed on the structure and focal areas of work of the Parliament of Malaysia - the country’s highest bicameral legislative body. The Turkmen leader noted with satisfaction that in the course of the constructive talks, thorough consideration was given to the promising areas of mutually beneficial partnership. In the course of meeting, acknowledging availability of vast potential for furthering the Turkmen–Malaysian cooperation, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and the Speaker of Parliament of the friendly country exchanged opinions on the prospects of bilateral partnership. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Head of Turkmenistan invited the Chair of the Lower House of the Parliament of Malaysia to take part in the UN Sustainable Transport Global Conference to be held in Ashgabat in the current month. In conclusion, the Turkmen leader and the Speaker of Parliament of the friendly country expressed their confidence in the long-term successful development of the Turkmenistan–Malaysia relations in every sphere of partnership and exchanged best wishes to the peoples of the two countries. In the evening, the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov headed to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. At the airport, the Head of State was greeted by the Turkmen students who are getting education in Malaysia. Talking to the future graduates, the National Leader encouraged the young people to bear with dignity the banner of Turkmenistan, study diligently, develop their professional skills, and press for noble life goals. In the course of the official departure ceremony, the Turkmen leader was given every accustomed distinction of high regard. The President of Turkmenistan bid a warm farewell to the high-ranking Malaysian officials and boarded the plane to leave for Ashgabat.